The Baggage

Emotion- it is a seven letter word that has the power to shape a person for better or for worse , the power to define a personality so completely that it impacts every single relationship that a person has or the lack of it .

So what are emotions and why do they hold such power over us ? Emotions are state of mind brought on as a response to an event . When you come home after a long day at school or work and find your favourite snack on the table, you feel delighted . This is the kindergarten version of an explanation of the concept of emotion . It just goes to prove that we start to experience emotions as soon as we are born . Emotions that are simple when we are children become increasingly complex as we grow older and weave a web of experiences in our interactions and define the person that we become . So why is this such a complicated thing? Probably because every single human being is governed by his or her emotion which in turn impacts the interaction with others . It is, in effect, an entire web of all things grey in between the absolute black and white, that defines us.

I was watching a show called Keep Breathing on Netflix . It is a survival story in which the main protagonist, a lawyer named Liv, goes to Northern Canada in search of her estranged mother but lands up in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere after her plane crashes. The daunting task of battling the unforgiving cold and past personal traumas to stay alive forms the rest of the story .

Throughout the six episodes, the narrative goes back and forth between the past and present, giving the viewers an insight into how Liv’s experiences made her the person that she was- a cold, guarded workaholic with commitment phobia. Metaphorical references of a young Liv wandering through the corridors of the law firm looking lost are indicative of Liv’s frame of mind, especially in the context of her impending motherhood and the recent discovery of the letters that her mother had sent to her over the years which her father had hidden from her. The audience also gets to understand how in every important step of her life, the biggest deciding factor in Liv’s choices has been the need to not be like her mother. In other words, her childhood experience with a mother suffering from a mental health issue and her eventual abandonment defines Liz’s personality completely . It becomes the single most influential factor in all her interactions and relationships, including her lack of trust in people, fear of commitment and motherhood.

The emotional baggage that we carry impacts every single interaction that we have and decision that we make . More often than not, though, our past experiences impact our present choices in a covert manner . Herein lies the crux of the matter . Many a times,  the emotional baggage that we carry from our past prevents us from embracing experiences that help us learn, grow and move forward in life . Life is a long and dynamic learning experience in which there should be no scope for stagnation . 

Like the protagonist of the series, Liv, who lets go of her estranged mother’s letters in the river before swimming to the safety of the river bank , the path to freedom lies in making a conscious attempt to let go of emotional baggage that holds us back .

In the journey of life it always helps to travel light . That is a sure-shot way to become the best version of yourself . 

Image Design by Aditi Sowmyanarayan